Why coloring pasta ?

We are lovers of fresh pasta, but we like to change it up a bit, make the dishes more varied? Let’s color the pasta.

It’s easy but if we want to obtain fresh pasta colored in a refined and pleasing way, we must follow some precautions during preparation.

Color with wet ingredients

If we use wet ingredients such as vegetables, we reduce the quantity of other liquids in the dough (eggs, water, oil)

Color with spices

If we use spices, limit ourselves to one teaspoon per 100 g.=3.5 oz. so as not to alter the typical flavor of the pasta

Using vegetables as dyes, it is a good idea to boil them beforehand, let them cool, squeeze them and blend them finely so as to minimize the excess water which could compromise the tightness of the mixture.

Remember to let the colored dough rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out, so as to give the flour time to absorb the added ingredients well.

We can colour also Gluten Free flour, in the same way.

All the colors of the rainbow

To obtain a naturally colored fresh pasta we must pay attention to how we treat the ingredients used as pigments but there is a large variety of opportunities.

1. Fresh green pasta      we can use    spinach or chard.

2. Fresh yellow pasta     we can use    saffron or yellow peppers

3. Fresh orange pasta    we can use    pumpkin, carrots and turmeric,

4. Fresh red pasta          we can use     tomato concentrate.

5. Fresh brown pasta     we can use    cocoa powder, instant coffee.

6.Fresh black pasta        we can use     liquid or powdered squid ink

7.Fresh purple pasta      we can use     cooked beetroot, red cabbage,            purple potatoes 

8. Fresh pink pasta        we can use  cooked beetroot in smaller quantities than needed for viola or beetroot powder

Which is your favourite color for pasta ?Try your ravioli, tagliatelle, pici or bowtie in your favourite colour.